Chapter 4: Yes, This Is the Scent!

“Oyster Sauce Lettuce, done!”

With a shout, Qin Lang poured the steaming garlic and oyster sauce from the pan over the neatly plated lettuce.

The brown, slightly thickened sauce, speckled with minced garlic, gave the vibrant green lettuce an even more appealing hue.

The unique fresh aroma of the lettuce mingled with the savory fragrance of the oyster sauce, creating a richer, more layered scent.

Using chopsticks, Qin Lang picked up a piece of lettuce and tasted it, nodding with satisfaction. “Not bad, my skills haven’t declined.”

Since his transmigration, this was the first time he had cooked with his own hands. Because this body was much slimmer than his previous life’s, Qin Lang had been preparing simpler dishes, and he hadn’t encountered any difficulties adapting.

However, to create more complex dishes would require some more time.

Setting the oyster sauce lettuce aside, Qin Lang’s gaze shifted to the other stove where the potato beef stew was simmering.

Originally, the broth had covered the potatoes and beef completely, but now, after long, slow cooking, much of the liquid had evaporated.

The tender potatoes and beef were partially exposed, their intertwined light and dark brown colors looking especially enticing amid the misty steam.

A pure and commanding aroma of beef mixed with the fragrance of potatoes forcibly invaded Qin Lang’s nostrils. He greedily inhaled the scent and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

The timing was just right.

After scooping a bit of broth with his spatula to taste, he added salt, monosodium glutamate, and other seasonings for the final touch, then reduced the sauce further before taking it off the heat.

He scooped a large bowl of rice from the rice cooker, eagerly picked up a piece of potato, blew on it gently, and then tasted it.

Despite the long cooking, the potato held together without crumbling, yet the powdery texture was immediately apparent upon biting.

With a slight press of his tongue, the potato melted in his mouth, leaving only the pure potato aroma and the savory beef flavor from the broth.

The lingering savory taste compelled Qin Lang to take a mouthful of rice. As he chewed, the natural sweetness of the rice gradually emerged, elevating the salty savoriness left in his mouth to another level.

“Delicious!” Qin Lang exclaimed simply. “No wonder I made it myself.”

With that satisfied remark, he eagerly turned his attention to the beef.

After long simmering, the beef had taken on a rich dark brown color. When picked up, the cut surface clearly revealed the meat’s grain, with the sauce deeply absorbed into the fibers.

Before even tasting it, one could already imagine the burst of juice with each bite.

The moment it touched his tongue, Qin Lang’s eyes lit up.

The thoroughly tender beef required no effort to chew; a slight bite easily separated it along the grain. The broth soaked into every crevice flooded his mouth.

The pure, fresh flavor of the beef, enhanced by various spices, played like a symphony composed by different instruments, unfolding beautifully on his palate.

After finishing one bite, Qin Lang fell silent, quickly scooping another mouthful of rice before picking up a piece of oyster sauce lettuce…

Eat up, eat up!

---

“Burp~”

After a full burp, Qin Lang looked at the two empty plates on the dining table.

The plate that had held the oyster sauce lettuce still retained some broth, while the large bowl that had contained the potato beef stew was completely empty—even the sauce was gone.

Qin Lang had poured the remaining broth from the bowl over his rice and mixed it in. The flavor...

You just eat it and don’t say a word.

“Time to wash the dishes,” Qin Lang said with another burp, slowly standing up to clean the mess. “Once I have money, I absolutely must buy a dishwasher.”

What dishes? With a face this big, you want me—the top-tier chef—to wash them myself?

Just as he placed the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen sink, a sudden sharp knock sounded at the door. Qin Lang’s hand paused over the faucet as he prepared to turn it on, then he rose and walked toward the door.

Opening it, a familiar face appeared.

“Grandpa Zhao?” Qin Lang was a bit surprised. “You…”

“What happened to your face?”

“Ah, this…” Zhao Chuan touched the new red mark on his cheek, winced, and awkwardly explained, “I bumped into something, accidentally.”

“Well, you need to be more careful from now on,” Qin Lang said sincerely.

“Ah haha, let’s not talk about that,” Zhao Chuan quickly changed the subject. “I suddenly remembered, this house has been rented to you for many years now.”

“Some of the old furniture might not be in good condition anymore, so I came specifically to help you inspect and fix things.”

Saying this, Zhao Chuan moved with an agility unbefitting his age, twisting past Qin Lang and entering the house.

“You go check if there’s anything else that needs fixing elsewhere. I’ll take a look at the kitchen.”

With that, Zhao Chuan strode toward the kitchen.

Ah well...

Qin Lang scratched his head.

Are landlords these days really this kind-hearted?

Alright, he’d go tidy up his personal belongings in his room first.

---

“Step—”

Zhao Chuan halted abruptly at the kitchen doorway.

A familiar, richer aroma of potato beef stew aggressively flooded his nostrils, leaving him in a daze.

That’s it! This is the scent!

All the lingering doubts in his heart vanished completely.

Zhao Chuan greedily inhaled the fragrance in the air, regret clearly etched on his face.

He wanted to eat...

But unfortunately, he seemed to have arrived too late.

Instantly, he felt a twinge of resentment toward his wife, Liu Suyun.

Out of respect for his wife’s authority, Zhao Chuan could only come over to check after the meal.

As he kept smelling the potato beef stew’s aroma, all previously delicious meals seemed utterly unappealing.

Zhao Chuan swore this was the blandest meal he had ever tasted.

Hands clasped behind his back, Zhao Chuan aimlessly wandered through the kitchen, trying to find any clues among the pots and pans.

Soon, his eyes landed on the dishes left unwashed in the sink.

Is this the plate that held that dish?

Staring at the oyster sauce lettuce plate, still carrying some broth, Zhao Chuan swallowed hard. Inside his mind, two little figures—a black one and a white one—were fighting.

The white figure said this was someone else’s leftover plate, which was bad.

The black figure argued to just dip a little bit of the broth; it wouldn’t be a problem.

Eventually, the black figure pinned the white one down and started beating it mercilessly. Swift as lightning, Zhao Chuan dipped his finger into the broth.

He looked around cautiously to make sure Qin Lang was outside the kitchen, then quickly brought the finger to his mouth.

The unfamiliar flavor made Zhao Chuan’s eyes freeze.

Was it wrong? Not this one?

The next moment, his pupils dilated.

This...

This flavor...

The rich garlic aroma and oyster sauce blended perfectly with a hint of the lettuce’s natural sweetness, like a colorful painting unfolding slowly across his lips.

Zhao Chuan’s face took on a look of blissful reverie.

This is... absolutely delicious!